Just Once
by Lady Valisere
Summary: After meeting Alexander, Hope has a hard time falling asleep. Perhaps a bath in the river with Lightning will calm his nerves?
1. Chapter 1

**Just Once**

Val's Note: Hello, everyone and Happy New Year! I come to you with a new HopexLightning story. It was during chapter eleven when this story came to me. Well, the ending came to me. The large majority of this story was not planned except the very beginning, and the ending which will come in chapter two. Everything in the middle to the end honestly wrote itself. I'm pleased with it though. It's a great thing when you squeal and get excited while writing your own story.

Enough of my blabbing. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

So this…was hell?

It was the question he kept asking himself. Hope still couldn't believe that everything he had thought about Pulse was wrong. It was far more beautiful and peaceful than he could have ever imagined. He didn't have to worry about PSICOM or anyone being afraid of him because he was a l'Cie. He was safe for the time being.

Hope lay awake under the night sky. He stared straight at Cocoon and felt a sudden pang of homesickness. He missed his father and wanted nothing more than to see him again. He tore his eyes away from the massive continent. He didn't want to think about the past. It would only bring more pain.

He closed his eyes once more, trying to force sleep upon him, but his eyes snapped open a few minutes later. The grass was soft enough, but something was keeping him awake. Perhaps it had something to do with the events that unfolded just a few hours earlier. He could still feel power pulsing through his veins inside him…his Eidolon, Alexander.

How could someone as weak as himself summon such a massive creature? He was small and frail, a general burden to the others…so he used believed.

He rolled on his side and gazed at Light's sleeping body only a few feet away from him. He secretly loved watching her sleep. He had done it more times than he would admit while traveling with her. He loved seeing her stone hard face relax while she slept. Hope wished she could find the peace she found in sleep all the time.

"The power I have inside…" he whispered to himself, recalling the words Light had said to him right before he proved himself to Alexander. He truly was a lot stronger than he led himself to believe; he just didn't realize that at the time. He didn't want Light to get hurt because of him. He promised he'd try his best to keep her safe and he felt that he didn't have enough strength to do it. Light allowed him to see how wrong he was.

He smiled gently at her sleeping figure and rolled onto his back. He closed his eyes, finally feeling like he would be able to get some sleep. His breathing steadied and the warm fire they had nearby comforted him. He felt himself slipping into a light sleep when he heard someone move next to him. His eyes shot open and he quickly looked to his right to see that Lightning had woken up. He kept his eyes on her, figuring that she probably just had to use the bathroom. He was surprised when she went to the edge of the river. He was even more surprised when she started removing her clothing.

Hope wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Pretending to be asleep and watching her felt wrong but closing his eyes and not watching felt like he'd be missing out. He was a hormonal fourteen year old boy, after all. He would be lying if he hadn't imagined this scenario at least once or twice.

After debating for a few second, he quietly stood up and looked at the others. They all seemed fast asleep. Fang was protectively holding onto Vanille who was cuddled up close to the other woman. Sazh was sleeping motionless on his side and mumbled a few incoherent words, a small trail of drool dripping down the corner of his mouth. Snow seemed to be in a deep sleep which was proven by his loud snoring. Even in sleep, the man was loud.

When Hope turned back to Lighting, he saw that she had already taken off her leather boots, gloves, sleeve, red bag around her thigh, and pauldron. She was working on unfastening the brown belt below her bust when she heard Hope slowly coming up behind her.

"What's wrong, Hope? Did I wake you?" she asked him, a puzzled but concerned expression on her face. He wasn't surprised that she would be worried about him after his earlier breakdown that evening.

Hope shook his head. "No. I was already up. I couldn't sleep. What are you doing?" he asked as she proceeded to throw her belt and uniform to the ground.

"I'm going to take a bath," she responded nonchalantly and pulled her brown turtleneck over her head. "Care to join me?"

Hope's felt his eyes widen in shock. Lightning Farron was standing before him in nothing but her brown miniskirt, lighting pendant, and bra. Not only was she standing in front of him with no shirt on, she had also invited him to bathe with her.

There was only one logical explanation: he was dreaming.

He crossed his arms and pinched himself as hard as he could. He winced slightly, the pain ruling out his dreaming theory. This was actually happening and she was waiting for an answer.

"O-oh. Sure," the young boy muttered and she nodded her head in acknowledgement.

He started removing his own clothes and tried to understand the situation before him. Did she not realize that he was a boy? A member of the opposite sex? Did his gender mean nothing to her?

No. Of course it didn't. At least, it didn't matter at the moment. To Lightning, Hope was probably still just a little boy. She didn't realize how mature he was for his age. Hope wanted nothing more than for her to see him as a man. He wanted to be strong and protect her with everything he had. Still, he couldn't deny the truth that he wasn't quite there yet. He still had a few more years to go.

After thinking about it for a moment, he wasn't exactly surprised about her indecency. Hope figured that Lightning wasn't a body conscious person. She most likely had to shower with other females after training for the Guardian Corps. This didn't faze her at all; not that many things fazed Lightning to begin with.

As he stripped his clothes, he couldn't help but admiring her. She stood before him in only a simple black bra and bikini cut underwear. He couldn't help but find it suiting on her. He didn't picture her as the kind of girl to wear sexy lingerie underneath her clothing. Even that was too flashy for her.

Her toned back and shoulders were illuminated by the fire behind them. Her long powerful legs drew his attention as his eyes wandered up them. He had the perfect side view of her flat stomach. He couldn't help but take notice of her naval piercing. He wondered how old she was when she got it. The thought didn't last long as his eyes were drawn to her ample breasts.

He quickly drew his eyes away, a hot flush crossing over his cheeks. Hope was thankful that it was dark or she probably would have caught him admiring her physique. He wasn't sure if she'd let him live that down or if it would make things awkward between them. Either way, he figured he wouldn't have liked the results.

Hope stripped down to his dark green boxers and closed his eyes, a wave of embarrassment rushing over him. He stood there, his arousal clear. All she had to do was take one look below his hips to see it.

"You coming?" she asked, looking him directly in the eyes. Hope gulped and nodded his head. Why did this have to be so uncomfortable? It wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking in his dreams.

He followed Lightning into the cool water. He shivered upon entering and wrapped his arms around himself. He continued walking deeper into the water, stumbling a bit over a few rocks as he did. Suddenly, his foot caught a branch hidden in the dark water and he felt himself lose his balance.

"Careful," Lightning advised as she grabbed his arm to keep him from falling over. Hope looked up at her and was careful not to let his eyes linger too long on her chest. It was his first time actually seeing her brand so he couldn't help but stare a bit.

"Thanks. I'll try," he said and quickly looked away. It was wrong to look at her like that. He knew it was wrong but he didn't seem able to control his wandering eyes. She was far too seductive for the young boy, even when she wasn't trying to be.

Lightning let go of his arm and started to swim out into deeper water. Her long arms extended gracefully with every stroke. He followed her and found that he was barely able to stand. She immersed herself under the water and came up a few seconds later with her hair completely soaked. Her hair seemed so much longer wet. The pink strands clung to her neck and floated gently on top of the water.

"Hope, you're staring," she commented and before he had the chance to reply, a large splash of water hit him directly in the face. He coughed a few times and spat out some water that had gotten in his mouth when he was going to respond. When he wiped the water out of his eyes, he saw that Lighting's eyes reflected concern. He was fine, but she was probably worried since he had been so weak earlier.

Hope grinned mischievously, leaned back, and splashed as much water at Lighting as he could. The older woman put up her hands to shield herself from the water and let out a loud gasp. Hope couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.

"Hope!" she exclaimed and splashed him with an even more water than before. Hope was ready for it though and quickly ducked underwater. He opened his eyes and swam as quickly as he could away from her. When he came up for air, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Light?" he softly called out, looking around the river for her.

Everything was quiet around him. A warm breeze swept through the night air and the water around him was still. There was no sign of movement until water suddenly shot up around him. He felt two arms wrap around him and he fell into the water with Lighting on top of him.

They both emerged from the river depths a few seconds later, gasping in air and letting it out in laughter. Lightning was laughing gently, her blue eyes shining with light Hope only saw on a few rare occasions. He couldn't believe she was standing in front of him in only her underwear, dripping wet, and genuinely laughing. How was this happening?

"I wish you'd always laugh like that, Light," he admitted, a small blush creeping over his cheeks.

She smiled at him and reclined on top of the water. She floated on her back, staring up at the night sky. She was quiet for a few minutes. Hope could tell that she was deep in thought. Her prolonged silence revealed that much.

"I used to laugh…" she started. Her voice was calm but Hope could detect the melancholy in it. "When Serah and I were kids, we laughed all the time. Remember when I told you about my parents?" she asked and Hope remembered her mentioning their deaths. "Dad died when I was young. I don't remember him much. My mother died when I was fifteen from an illness," she explained and brought her legs down so she was no longer floating. She turned to Hope, her face void of emotion. "I know how it feels…to lose someone you love. I had to be strong for Serah though. It was around that time my laughter became less frequent."

Hope wasn't sure what to say. He had no idea that she could relate to his situation so well, being only a year older when she lost her mother. Hope knew that Lightning understood him better than anyone. She even admitted to being just like him after the death of her parents. It must have been harder for her though…then and now. Hope still had his dad. Without Serah, she didn't have anyone.

He took a few awkward steps forward in the water and stood in front of Lightning. She looked down at him and he could see the sadness in her eyes. He didn't mean to bring back such painful memories. He could tell she was hurting. Like always though, she was keeping it inside.

From there, his body took control. All he knew is that he wanted to comfort her. He reached out and wrapped his arms tightly around her cold, wet torso, and brought her close to him. His head rested on her chest and he could hear her heart beating.

"Hope…" she whispered softly, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"You told me that I didn't have to go through this alone. Well, you won't be alone either, Light. I'm here for you. We'll survive this. We'll survive this together," he confessed, his voice stronger that he ever thought it would be. He closed his eyes and tightened his grip around her. "Then I'll get to hear you laugh again."

She was silent for a moment. He couldn't hear anything but the sound of her heart beating and their breathing.

"Alright, Hope," she said and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her forehead on top of his head and held him for a moment. Hope found comfort and security in her arms. He closed his eyes, trying to commit the feeling of her holding him to memory.

A minute later, she let go of him and he took that as his cue to release her. She smiled at him a small sweet smile, a smile that was all his own. That smile that she only shared with him.

"Thank you," she said with the utmost gratitude.

"Sure thing. We're partners, remember?"

"Yeah…I do," she replied, her voice far off and distant. She looked back towards the shore and the fire. "Let's go sit by the fire and dry off," she suggested and started heading back towards shore with him following closely behind.

* * *

End Note: That's all for now! I hope you liked it and hopefully I kept the characters in character. I'm always afraid I bend them too much to my own will. I do my best to stay true to their personalities. Whether I accomplished that or not, I do not know.

If you enjoyed this chapter or want me to write faster, leave a comment! Comments greatly improve my desire to write. Leave a review, get a chapter, leave a review...get a chapter. It's a glorious cycle. :3

I just want to quickly thank everyone who commented/read/favorited my previous story, "It's a Possibility". They made me extremely happy since it was my first HopexLightning fic. I do have a sequel planned for everyone who requested it. I also have another story planned after this once is finished. I'll be busy writing. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Just Once**

Chapter Two

Val's Note: Hey, guys. :) Thank you for making it to chapter two and for everyone who commented on chapter one. I apologize for the delay on getting this to you. I was really focused on beating the game which I finished yesterday! It was so bittersweet. I wanted to see the ending so badly (because I didn't spoil it for myself, for once) and once it was over I didn't want it to end. :( Anyway, here is the long final chapter!

* * *

"How could you mess up something so simple?" Hope asked, staring at Lightning with disbelief.

"I don't know! I just put it in and set the timer," Lighting responded, the agitation in her voice only empathizing her embarrassment.

Hope paused for a second, his face serious.

"Did she eat it?"

Lightning hung her head, unable to put up a fight any longer. "Yes…after scraping off all the burnt parts," she admitted in defeat. Hope couldn't contain his laughter and to his surprise, Lightning looked up and smiled at him.

If you were to ask Hope how in one night he went from bathing with Lightning to having a conversation with her about how she burnt her sister's 16th birthday cake, he wouldn't be able to tell you.

The two sat in front of the blazing fire which sat in old machinery. The warmth of the fire was comforting to Hope. It reminded him of the countless nights he sat with his mother as a child in front of their own fireplace. She would read to him every night while they waited for his father to come home from work.

"I'd like to meet her someday…" Hope mused and continued to stare at the dancing flames in front of him.

"Meet who? Serah?" Lightning asked, giving him an inquisitive look.

"Yeah. I've only seen her right before she became a crystal but I never really got to know her. I've just heard so much about her from Snow and now some from you. It's something I'd like to do after all of this is over," he admitted.

Lightning reached over and gently place her hand over his. Hope looked down at her hand over his and then up at her smiling face. Their gazes locked for a moment and Hope could see a glimmer of light in her eyes before she removed her hand and broke eye contact.

"You will. Once we're through with this we'll all go on living. You, me, Snow, Fang, Vanille, Sazh. We're all going to get through this. Serah is waiting for us, after all," she told him, her voice strong and confident. Just hearing those words gave him all the more hope that he could see this through.

"What are you going to do when we're no longer l'Cie?" he asked. Lately he had been thinking about the future. He didn't know what would be ahead of them and he knew that it wouldn't be easy, but he wanted to have something to look forward to after their twisted adventure was over.

Lightning looked up at the night sky and focused her eyes on Cocoon.

"You mean aside from the obvious?" she asked and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He nodded and she directed her gaze once more at the continent floating above them. "I'd like to sit on the shore of Bohdum and watch the sunset," she admitted and he could tell she was picturing it in her mind. "You take simple things for granted until they aren't there anymore…until you can't see them in front of you. I want to appreciate the things I had."

Hope knew exactly what she meant. It was hard for him just to go back to Palompolum. As soon as he was back he wanted to stay with his father in the house that was always a safe haven to him.

"What about you?" Lightning asked, tearing Hope from his thoughts and back to their conversation.

"I'm not really sure…" he admitted and unconsciously twirled a blade of grass around his finger. "I want to see my father again but I also want to travel. Maybe spend some more time in Bohdum. I was only there once for a short time and I keep hearing good things about it," he said, looking up and giving Lightning a smile.

"You're welcome to stay at my place for as long as you'd like. Serah will probably move in with Snow after she marries the idiot. I'll need the company," she told him, returning the smile.

"I'd like that…a lot. I might have to take you up on that offer," he said and couldn't help the blush crossing his cheeks.

Hope looked up at the sky as silence fell between them. It wasn't an awkward silence but a comfortable peace. It was the type of stillness that occurred between two people who are at ease around each other.

He reclined on his back onto the soft grass. He couldn't believe what had happened tonight. It still felt like he was dreaming. He looked over to his right to see that Lightning had lain down beside him.

Hope watched her for a moment and could tell that she was deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking about when she looked over at him and he quickly looked away.

"Something on your mind?" she asked and rolled on her side so she would be looking at him directly.

"I just…I just wanted to thank you," he said bashfully. He put his hands over his stomach and felt the butterflies fly around inside. It probably didn't help that he was hungry too.

Lightning gave him a puzzled look. "Thank me for what?"

"For what you said earlier. How you told me that I wasn't alone and made me realize how strong I actually am," he told her and looked her straight in her endless blue eyes. He held her gaze and smiled. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you Light."

She was silent for a moment and seemed to be taking in what he had said. Hope had a feeling that she didn't understand how much of an impact she made on him. He always looked up to her. She taught him so many things and he grew as a person because of her. It's not every day that you meet someone who has that kind of effect on you.

Hope jerked in surprise as she reached over and placed her hand gently on his arm. She was smiling at him. Her damp pink locks were messy and wavier than normal. It showed a much more vulnerable side of her though. Hope wasn't sure why she revealed herself to him so much. Maybe it had to do with how in tune they were with each other.

"You don't have to thank me for that, Hope. You had it inside all along. All you needed was a little push to get it out," she told him. She sounded so sincere and gentle. It directly opposed the tough soldier that she was. She removed her hand and rolled once more on her back. It was a few seconds before she spoke again.

"Let's finish this together. I want our dreams to become reality. Promise me you'll be there standing next to me in the end," she implored. Her voice was strong but Hope could hear the weakness behind it. She was strong, there was no denying that, but he knew that she was scared all the same.

He reached over and grabbed her hand. He expected her to pull away and was surprised when he felt her fingers lightly wrap around his clammy hand.

"Don't worry," he told her, his voice soft and comforting. "I'll be there. I'll be right there beside you when all of this is over. You don't have to worry about losing me," he said and saw the corner of her eyes widen. He had a feeling that she was afraid of loss more than anything, the nuance of surprise in her eyes proved it. Hope could easily relate; he was just afraid of losing her as she was of losing him.

Lightning didn't say anything more after that. There was nothing more that needed to be said. The two of them lay side by side in the soft grass with the warm fire crackling and their home hanging above their heads. The home they both dreamed of returning to.

It didn't take long for Hope to feel Lightning's hand loosen around his own. He gently removed his hand from hers and sat up. He looked over at her motionless body and deducted that she was asleep.

He stared at her serene face and crawled over a bit closer to her. He admired her long eyelashes and flawless pale skin. His gaze slid down her perfect nose and stopped on her pink lips. Her pouting lips that looked so soft and sweet. Without thinking, he found himself leaning in, his mouth getting closer to hers.

_What are you doing?_ He scolded himself and pulled himself away. He crawled a few feet away and rested his face in his palms. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest even more than it did in battle. What was he doing, exactly? He slowly uncovered his face and looked over at where Lightning slept.

Hope was thankful to find that he didn't wake her up. He couldn't believe that he had almost kissed her. His face burned at the very thought of it. He had never kissed a girl before, let alone one older than him. Still, he couldn't help the desire inside him. At that very moment, he wanted nothing more than to just kiss her—even if it was only for a second.

He crawled back over to her and sat beside her sleeping figure. He got on his hands and knees and leaned over her. His face hovered above hers and he slowly lowered it.

_Stop it. You're taking advantage of her._

_No I'm not. It's just one kiss. One little kiss never hurt._

_What if she wakes up?_

_She won't. She won't even feel it._

_You'll regret it._

_I'll cherish it._

_Don't do it._

_Just…once…_

He closed his eyes and gently placed his lips upon hers. It was so light he could barely feel the warms of her soft lips on. The kiss itself only lasted a second. A blissful second was all he would allow himself.

Hope quickly wrenched his lips away from hers and scurried back to his spot. He couldn't believe what he had just done. As much as he enjoyed it, he quickly felt the guilt spread though his body. He had just stolen a kiss from the now most important female in his life. He stole it…took it away from her by force. Hope knew all too well that she wouldn't even want him to be kissing her and yet he did it anyway.

He dropped down on the grass next to her and covered his eyes with his hands. There was no way he'd be able to live with knowing that he took something like that from her. It was his first kiss and he stole it. He couldn't live with himself knowing that he did such a thing.

_I told you…_

_Shut up._

There was only one way he could think of to lift his guilt. He'd tell her what he did and ask for her forgiveness. It would probably be one of the most embarrassing conversations you could ever have with a girl you had feelings for, but he had to do it. He couldn't let it weigh down on him.

Hope rolled over and turned his back on Lightning. He closed his eyes, figuring that he'd rest for a moment before going to retrieve his clothing. It only took him a minute though to fall into a deep sleep.

The night was calm and the only thing that could be heard was the occasional call of a beast roaming the Archylte Steppe. Lightning slowly opened her eyes and raised her hand to her mouth. She gently touched her lips and looked at the back of the boy sleeping next to her. She then closed her eyes and went to sleep for the first time since she had first awoken earlier that night.

* * *

Hope awakened to the sound of incoherent voices floating above him. He couldn't move and didn't have the strength to open his eyes. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He was so warm and comfortable before the voices started talking. He wished they would all go away so he could return to his peaceful slumber.

"Well, well, well; take a look at what we've got here," a deep voice said above him. Hope felt like hitting whoever the voice belonged to.

"Awww, Fang! Look at them! They're so cute!"

"Now, Vanille. We wouldn't want to wake them, would we?" The older woman snickered.

"Well, what are we gonna do? Shouldn't we wake 'em?" a new voice asked and Hope groaned, hoping they'd take the hint and leave.

"I don't know. It looks like the kid is on the verge of waking anyways," the deeper voice remarked. Hope heard the grass crunch beside his head as the group came closer. He slowly opened his eyes to the blinding sunlight. He tried to shield his eyes from the light with his arm only to find that he wasn't able to move it.

"Hey ya, kiddo. Have fun sleeping with my sister?" Snow asked and Hope's eyes snapped open. The young boy looked up at the faces hovering above him; Fang with her sly grin, Vanille giggling at the sight of him, Sazh with a curious expression on his face, and Snow with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He attempted to sit up but was kept where he was. He looked down to see an arm wrapped tightly around his torso. He could feel warm air on the back of his neck and something soft pressed against his back. He looked down even further to see long legs folded up against his perfectly. Hope turned his head as much as he could to see Lightning holding onto him as she slept.

"It's not what it looks like," Hope sputtered out, his face turning scarlet.

Snow chuckled. "Sure it isn't. Can you explain why the both of you are in your underwear then?" he teased, clearly taking pleasure in Hope's embarrassment.

"Because-"

"Because we went swimming," Lightning answered for him and he felt her release her grip around him. "Sorry, Hope. I have a tendency to grab onto nearby objects when I sleep," she said and stood up. Her face was expressionless as she turned her back on him and walked over to where they left their clothes.

"I-it's alright," he murmured and stood up as well.

Lightning quickly dressed and threw Hope's clothes to him. He did the same and an awkward silence fell over the group.

"You really shouldn't be sleeping with someone so much younger than you, sis. Give him a few more years and he'll be all yours," Snow said and draped his arm around Hope. He turned and smiled at the boy. "You'd make a good brother in law," he added and Hope blushed at the very suggestion.

"It was an accident," Lightning stated bluntly as she picked up her gunblade and walked out of the campsite and around the corner where she could no longer be seen. Hope took a few steps forward to follow her but Fang placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"She probably wants a little alone time right now. Whether she shows it or not, she's probably a bit embarrassed," she told Hope and he knew she was right.

Hope walked over to a nearby log and sat down. Vanille slowly walked up to him with a concerned expression on her face. She sat next to him and placed her hand on his back.

"You alright?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned for his wellbeing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little confused is all," he admitted and she nodded in understanding.

"Would it have anything to do with your feelings for Lightning?" she asked and he was unable to meet her eyes. Just looking at her would give everything away. Not that there wasn't anything they didn't know already.

Snow sat down on the other side of him and ruffled Hope's silver hair with his large hand. "You sure do know how to pick them," he commented and shook his head. He left his hand fall on his thigh and gave Hope a sympathetic smile.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked Snow, his green eyes wide and pleading.

"Not much you can do right now. Stay by her side, ask her out in four years, and fight off any guy that tries to get close to her. Not that any guy other than you apparently would have the guts," he laughed to himself and stared off into the direction of where she left. "You have a pretty good chance, kid. She's already attached to you."

Hope looked down at the ground and dug a small hole with his shoe. He felt like a complete idiot. He was supposed to be strong. Having these feelings for Lightning would only distract him from what was important. At the same time, it only made him want to protect her more. He stood up and turned to Vanille and Snow.

"Thanks. I'm going to continue to do my best. I'll wait no matter how long it takes," he announce, his voice full of determination.

"Atta boy," Snow said and Hope beamed at him.

"I need to go find Light. There's something I need to talk to her about," he said and ran off in search of her.

* * *

It felt good to be alone for a bit. Lightning sat on an edge of a cliff that overlooked Pulse. She could see the untamed wilderness and beauty of the land. She gazed in awe at the steep cliffs, the clear rivers, and the endless blue sky. It was amazing to her that so many people feared this place. They had a right to, she supposed, it was the unknown and many people feared the unknown.

"The unknown…" she whispered to herself and looked down at her hands. She couldn't help but recall how Hope's hand felt around her own. She remembered how protected and safe she felt when he took her hand. It was…

Preposterous. Lightning shook her head, trying to clear the memory. She should have pulled away. She should have been more responsible. She was twenty one years old and he was fourteen. He was just a kid and she was an adult. Whatever she felt for him was wrong and needed to stop.

She slammed her fist against the hard earth next to her. How could she have let herself have these feelings for him? It wasn't like she wanted him as a lover or anything. She just wanted him to be with her. She cared about him far more than she should. She cared so much that she didn't even protest when he kissed her.

Lightning felt like she was going to throw up in disgust with herself. To think that she actually enjoyed the feeling of his lips against hers. It pained her to think that she wouldn't mind if it happened again. It was so irresponsible and it killed her. How could it be that Hope Estheim was her biggest weakness?

She heard a twig crack behind her and instinctively pulled out her gunblade. Her eyes widened as Hope stood behind her with his arm up in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you," he apologized and she put away her weapon.

"It's alright. I was just deep in thought," she said and studied him. He looked so nervous. He was swaying slightly back and forth on his heels and fiddled with the yellow wristband tied around his wrist.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," he said, and looked her directly in the eyes. A cool breeze swept through the air and swept with his silver hair. His gaze never left hers for a second. Lightning could feel her heart skip a beat.

"Sure. What is it?" she asked, not knowing if she really wanted the answer to that question.

"I did something I shouldn't have last night. It was wrong and selfish. Despite that, I'm happy I did it, but I still feel guilty," he admitted and Lightning had a feeling she knew what he was talking about. She didn't expect him to bring it up though.

"And that would be…"

"I kissed you while you were sleeping," he admitted. Lightning watched as the blood crept up to his cheeks in embarrassment. He still kept his head high, proving to her how serious he was. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done something so personal without your consent," he apologized and lowered his eyes in respect. Lightning chuckled softly. It was amusing to her that he felt so bad about what he had done.

She walked over to where he stood and stopped in front of him. He slowly raised his head and timidly lifted his eyes to hers. She leaned over and placed her lips gently on his forehead. She let them stay for a few seconds before pulling away.

"There. Now we're even," she said and Hope looked at her in shock.

"Right…even…" he mutter and Lightning gave him a small smile.

"We should get back to the others before they become even more suspicious," she suggested and started walking away from the edge of the cliff.

"Hey, Light!" Hope shouted and she turned around to face him. "One day I'm going to be older and I'm going to kiss you," he announced and she could tell that he was completely serious.

She lifted her chin slightly with a raised eyebrow before she turned her back on him and continued walking.

"Good luck," she called back and started making her way back down the cliff.

There was no way that she was going to let him know that she was secretly looking forward to that day too.

* * *

End Note: Well, there you have it! I'm sorry it's such a long chapter. I contemplated making it two separate chapters but I decided against it in the end. Because it's such a long chapter, there are probably a butt load of errors I overlooked. Super apologies about that too. If you liked this chapter or this story as a whole, drop me a review and let me know! They always inspire me to write more.

Love,  
Val


End file.
